The new Finnish dream: Become a member of the PS and speak out against migrants, minorities and cultural diversity

The saying found in the Gospel of Matthew, verse 26:52 is dedicated to Perussuomalaiset (PS)[1] chairman Timo Soini, who is also a devout catholic. This saying, live by the sword die by the sword, must haunt Soini. If I were him it would give me the creeps.

Some are predicting gloomy days for the PS, even the party’s implosion. The same anti-immigration rhetoric that made it into the second biggest party in parliament threatens to destroy it today.

The saying by Jesus quoted in the Bible says in pretty clear language that if you use violence, or other harsh means against other people, you can expect the same ending happening to you.

Everybody knows that the PS is hostile to migrants, minorities and to our ever-growing culturally diverse society. You don’t need to be a rocket sicentist to understand that.

The Finnish Dream

Meanwhile, blinded by media attention, power and money, one rapid way of becoming rich and famous in this country is to join the PS and become a populist with a clear anti-immigration message. You could even become a good cop like Soini by claiming that you’re against racism while supporting racism.

One way of attaining the new Finnish dream, like the USAmerican dream, is membership in the PS, lots of imagination to make up and turn out urban tales about migrants and minorities faster than they are disproven. If you succeed you’ll become famous and well off.

Disagree?

The PS got last year 6.630 million euros in support from tax payers last year. That is a far cry from smaller parties like the Swedish People’s Party and Christian Democrats. In 2007, the PS were in the minor political leagues as the latter parties with only five MPs elected in 2007.

In the ongoing debate about the PS and racism in Finland, it’s not surprising that those defending that party these days are mostly whites. These people are the ones assuring us, and migrants, that racism isn’t an issue in this country.

True, racism isn’t an issue for them because their white.

Some Finns and even foreigners believe that since the PS is now the second-biggest party in parliament and will be in government, and excuse my crude language, it’s perfectly fine to suck up and shamelessly patronize them.

Two examples of the latter are two Green League politicians,[2] Touko Aalto and Hanna-Kaisa Lähde, which I hope nobody will follow their examples.

Said Aalto: “When we walk halfway on the bridge the other side will do the same [with the PS].”

Said Lähde: “Who defines racism? I don’t believe that any normal person in Finland wants on purpose to be racist. Some things could certainly be labeled as racist even if that wasn’t their original aim. The immigration program of the Perussuomalaiset was labeled as racist. That’s how it was seen and nobody wanted to hear what its aim was.”

If you want to read the full threat where Lähde debated her views with Mikko Laaksonen on racism and the PS (in Finnish) go here.

If we put what these two politicians are saying in perspective, it boils down to the same problem: White folks telling us that the PS aren’t as bad as some claim and that we should accept them for what they are.

A word of advice, however, for them: Ask visible migrants and minorities for a second opinion before you go to bed with the PS.

[1] The Finnish name of the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.